How To Air Ship?

[mr_tee0419]

hey guys, I've got to air ship a fish. I've never ordered a fish off of the net before, so I am not familiar with how they package them. How do you think I could package to give it the best chance for survival? TIA

 

[reefrunner69]

I would use your favorite local LFS for help, get a couple or three large bags rom them, fill one 1/3 full of water, place that in the other bag or 2 other bags, put the fish in and fill with oxygen, most lfs have pure O2 that they can fill the bag for you, rubberband the bags shut. Put the bag in an insulated box, and add styrofoam peanuts or newspaper or some other type of filler so the bag is tight in the box and won't roll around during transport. Seal the box off and ship next day air.

 

[BillyZ]

I'll add one hint. Contact your shipper ahead of time and find out when the cut-off time for overnight shipping is and be sure you have your shipment prepared and there before the cut-off time. Otherwise that's an additional 24 hours the shipment has to stay in the bag.

 

[marcus russo]

Also use a heat or cold pack depending on time of year and where you are shipping to

 

[jamal-188]

Otherwise that's an additional 24 hours the shipment has to stay in the bag.

That is a good point.

A bit off topic but a shipment we received a few weeks back was delayed to days so instead of 24hour in the packages the fish/corals were in the package close to 80 hours 8O Surprising as it may be out of the several hundred fish only a small percantage above normal didn't make it. Even some large show sized angels were ok. About 50% of the corals didn't make it but all in all we were very shocked to say the least.

 

[reefrunner69]

While that is very good, I kinda wonder what long term effects might have been for those fish.

 

[SpeckledGrouper]

I am fortunate enough to have more than a dozen LFS in my area and I do my rounds every Saturday. I have a styro-foam cooler in my car and if I buy something (mostly coral) I race straight home.

Browsing the net, I do find some nice and interesting species that seem to not be available locally and sometimes I am tempted.
But with the temps we have been having lately, I have decided to wait until it cools down, I just cannot see a box of fish in the back of an un-airconditioned delivery van, overnight or not, I think it is not wise to expose anything living to even an hour of that heat!

 

[mr_tee0419]

thanks for the help